Vending machine



Mag 13, 1930. H. RICHARDSON E AL 1,758,373

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet '1 Ma} '13, 1930. M.H. RICHARDSON ET AL 1,758,373v

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll 29 WM Hjulenio/sj wrowj'ifwmon May 13, 1930. M. H RICHARDSON ET AL 1,758,373

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 Elven/ 0115;

WQPOW/j Ebkardxsoiu May 13, 1930. 'M. H. RICHARDSON ET AL 1,758,373

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' jwerdvrq I$PO77/1Q6Wd6 I 1 6 gym- May 13, 1930. M. H. RICHARDSON ET L I 1,753,373

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 zontal -plane whileejecting-the article and- Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENTMYRON H. .nIcHARnsoN, or cr IeAeanNn ALBERT GEBERT. or WILMETT ILLI-NoIs, ASSIGNORS To ADVANCE .MAOHINE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, Acon- PORATION OF ILLINOIS i j VENDING .Iv AcHINE 7 Application filedFebruary 4, 1927. Serial No. 165,783.

This invention relatesto improvements in vending machines of the checkcontrolled ty-pe,=and one ofthe objects of the same is to provide animproved machine of this character embodying a plurality 1 of containersmounted for rotation "about 'a common-axis, and improved means forcontrolling the rotationof the containers whereby-they may heselectivelypositioned-with respect to the delivery outlet of the machineand also with respect to anejector which is common to the" containers sothat *a selected article will be delivered when the checkcontrolled-mechanism is operated to actuate the ejector.

A further object is toprovide in an im-' proved machine of thischaracter an improved ejectorwhich is adapted toymove in one horiduringthe movement of the ejector in onedirection,and then drop down or out ofthe way so as to move in a .difl'erenthorizontal plane on'the returnmovement,so"that the articles in' the containers will pass over-theejector whenthe containers are beingjshifted or ro- 7 tated.

table or -support,-thereby avoiding frictional resistance to themovement of the containers.

A- further object" is "to provide 4 improved means controlledbythe"articles in the machine for controlling the operation of the ejectingmechanism.

To the attainment of these ends ancl'the accomplishment of othernew anduseful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features ofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangementofthe'several parts hereinafter more fully 7 described and'claime'dandshown-inthe accompanying drawings illustratingthis invention,- and inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of an improvedmachine of this-character constructed in accordance with the principlesof this invention and with=parts omitted.

' operating the ejector.

- ure 1.

Figure 3 is -a detail perspective view of the lowerportion of one of the,containersshowinga weight therein.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken on line 44, Fi-g-ure 6.

*Figure 2' is a right hand-elevationof'Fig-F I Figure '5 is a horizontalsectional view taken on line 5-"5, Figure 6.

Figure 6-is a detail vertical taken on line 6+6; Fig'ure l. V

Figure? is an enlarged detail verticalsectional viewof oneof thecontainersand showing theejector and the' operating mechanism therefor.

*Figure 8 is ia detail horizontal sectional vie-w-takenaonline8-8,Figure"6-. Figure-;9,"10 and 11-are detail views partly inelevation, partly in section and partly broken-away of the checkcontrolledmechanism.

'l igzgur-e 1 2 is anenlarged' detail verticalsectional view taken- .online 12-12, Figure 6.

' Figures 133, 14, 15- and 16-are detail views partly in verticalsection and partly i-n'e1eva-tion, diagrammatically iilustrating "thedifferent steps in the operation ofthe ejector.

Figure 1'7 is*a detail view partlyfin elevation, partly in section andwith'parts omitted, showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure '18is a sectional view on line 18-18, Figure 17, with partsomitted.

Figure 19-isarear elevation of the camffor sectional view Referring moreparticularlyto the draw ings the numeral 20 designates the base of themachine having atop 21 which is provided with :an opening 22 therein,the top being spaced "for a considerabledistance; above'the base andbeing maintained in; position a by means of suitable uprights 23.

. Apartition 24 is arrangedwithin the}bottom of the machineandspacedabove thebase 20 and this partition is provided with anopening'25itherethroughand through which M the articlesto be vended aredeliveredtobe received by a chute 26 and conveyed to an outletopening'27.

An upright-shaft 28 isjournaled: in asuitable bearing in the base 20 andalso in the partition 24 and extends through and for'any desireddistance abovethe partition 24.

Secured to the shaft 28 in any suitable manner and arranged about theshaft are a plurality of containers 29, thebottoms of'the containers.being preferably 7 formed by spaced supports 30, the latter being inturn supported above the partition 24 so that the entire W'eight of thearticles 31 within the container will besupported out of contact withthe partition 24, thereby obviating the creating ofany resistance to therotation of port 29 carried between the containers is the containers bythe dragging of the articles over the partition 24. v a I A collar 29may be provided to encompass theshaft 28 against the endof which asuptainers with 'respectto the partition 24.

Secured also to theshaft 28 for rotation V therewith andpreferablyadjacent the base 20, is a member 32 which is preferablyangular in cross section so as to provide the faces: 7 33. Thememb'er 32.isso shaped that there will be provided one face 33 for each of thecontainers 29 and co-operating with the faces 33 is a member 34 which ispivotally mounted as at 35,-preferably upon the base '20 of the machine.A spring 36 is connected byone' end to the member 34 and is anchored asat 37', preferably to the base 20 and the normal tendency-of the spring36 is to move the member 34 against the edge or periphery of the member32 so that as the member 32 is roatatedw ith the shaft 28, the member 34will contact with one of the faces 33 and therei c by arrest the"rotation of the containers 29 so as to cause them to assume positionsover the deliverychute26. 1 7

Any suitable meansamay be provided for rotating thecontainers,butasimple and ethcient means embodies a shaft 38 which is j ournaled at oneend in a bearing 39 and at the forward end preferably in the front wall4.0}of?the base, a handle 41 being provided rotated. .1

. a collar.44' which is loosely mounted upon the shaft. Secured also totheshaft 38 for rotation therewith "is' another collar and V7 :60

Loosel-y mounted upon the shaft' is a gear wheel 42'of any desiredtype.This gear 42 3 is arranged between a collar '43 .which is se-' curedtothe shaft for-rotationtherewith and interposed between. these collars44 and 45 is 'a spring 46, whichtendsnormallyl to movethecollar44against the gear 42 and cooper:

. ates with the collar 43 for yieldingly 'cla'mp- V Ling the gear'42 tothe shaft38. 1

The collars 43 I and 44 co-operating with together with another 001- onthe shaft38 s0tliat' the latter may be;

the gear 42 form-a clutch which will permit the shaft 38 to rotateindependently with respect to the gear 44 under abnormal conditionsand'thereby prevent damage to the machine. s

Loosely mounted uponthe shaft 28 is a gear wheel 47 which has connectedwith it for rotation therewith a ratchet wheel 48. These gears47 and 48may besupported bymeansof acollar or bearing 49-and co-operating withthe ratchet wheel 48 is a pawl .50 which ispivotally mounted as at 51upon the member 32. A spring 52 tends normally to hold the. pawl incontact with the ratchet wheel 48.

A gear 53 rotatable on anaXis transverse to the axis of the shaft28meshes with the I gear'47, and the gear 53 is secured to a shaft 54journaled in suitable bearings '55.

Connected also withthe shaft 54 for rotationtherewith is a gear 56, withwhich the gear 42 meshes.

, It will-therefore be seen that when the handle 41 on the shaft 38 isrotated the gear 42 will be rotated under normal conditions i as itwill'be frictionallyclamped to the shaft 38. The gear 42 willrotate thegear 56, shaft 54 and gear-53, and through the medium of the gear 47 theratchet wheel 48 will be rotated, T he,,;pawl 50 being secured to themember 322will cause the member 32 and shaft, 28 to be rotated when themember 32 is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 5.

As the member 32 is rotated the member 34 will yield and if desiredanti-friction rollers 57 may be provided on the member 32 intermediatethe faces 33 so as to facilitate the rotation of the shaft 28 by thehandle 41.

Secured to the lower face of the partition 24 and on -opposite sides ofthe inlet opening of thechutei26, are guides 58 (see particularly Figure12 and these guides are adaptedto receive projections 59 which arecarried by a member 60, and to which member 60 is connected an ejector61. The member 60 is pivotally connected as at 62 with anothermember 63,which is in turn preferably pivotally supported adjacent one endthereof. The member'63 is adapted to be moved 1:

about its pivot by means of a suitable cam shaped device 64, which isadapted to be rotated in a manner to be hereinafter described,

and during its rotation the cam shaped portion will successively en ageln s or projections 65 -66 carried by t e mem er 63,

- Carried by. the member 60 is an arm or projection 6T and'a spring68 issecured by one end tozthe projection 67 and by its other end to themember 63. This spring 68tends normally to swing the member 60 about itspivot 62. Thatis to say when the member 60 and ejector 61 assumepredetermined positions in the operation of the member 63 about itspivot the spring 68 will move to one side'of the drop.

pivot 62 (see Figure 13) to elevate the ejector 61 and position theprojections 59 in alinement with the guides 58, so that upon the forwardmovement of the ejector the projections 59 will ride'in the guides;

When, however, the ejector 61 and member have reached a predeterminedposition in their cycle of operation, or the pointat which theprojections 59 will pass out of the guides 58 (see particularly Figure15), the spring the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 6, whichis the same position as indicatedfin Figure 13, the high portion ofthecam will engage the projection on the member 63 and will swing themember'63 about its pivot in one direction to move the ejector 61forwardly. During this cycle of operation the projections 59 will travelinthe guideways 58 so as to eject one of the articles 81 from thecontainer 29, as shown in Figure 14. i

The member63 and the ejector 61 will con tinue to travel in thisdirection of movement until the article is'ejected from the containerand until the projections'59,which are connected with the ejector,passout of the guide- 3 ways 58.- At this time the spring 68 will havepassed over the pivot 62 to thepos-ition shown in Figure 15, andthestress of. the spring 68 will then swing the member 60 about itspivot 62,causi'ng the ejector61 to When the high part of the cam 64engages the projection 66 on the member'63 itwill move the member63inthe opposite direc' tion to retract the ejector. As the ejector .61

" is being thus retracted from theposition shown in Figure 15, .thespring 68 will begin to move across to the other side'of the pivot 62 sothat just at about. the time projections 59 which are connected with theejector 61 reach the forward end of the guides58 the spring 68 will holdthese projections against the bottom ,of' the Y guide (see Figure-.16).

w c L L. A still further movement of the e ector 61 engagesltherlogkmgor mtammg elementfip of the checkcontrelled inechanism fso'that in thesame direction will cause the projections 59, through the medium ofthespring 68, to be moved upwardly into the posit on shown in Figure 13or into a position in which the pro ections 59 will be the guides 58.

This operation will becompleted each. time the cam 64 is given a forwardand back moveg c a Y of a ,sprlng 79, thereby .moving the portion ment.The guides 58 are of such alength 518110111: sure the movement of theprojections 59 in the 1 guides 58 until after the article is ejected andin alinernent with the ejector has almost reached the limit of itsejecting movement, that is until the ejector has completed its strokebefore the ejector can rise or fall.

in the present form of the invention the cam device 64 is shown in sucha position that the articles31 will be ejected upon'the for ward strokeof the ejector.

Should it be desired to causethe' articles to be ejected on the returnmovement of the ejector instead of the forward movement, the

cam device 64 may be removedfrom its operating shaft and reversed sothat the high portion of the cam will engage the projection 66 inadvance of its engagement with the proection .65 on the member 63. ,8

This may be accomplished by reason of the fact that the cam device 64 isprovided with an angular opening 69 which receives an angular shapedstud 7 0 thatis connected with a shaft 71, the latter being rotated bymeans of a suitable hand 7 2 arranged in a convenient position for theoperator.

A cushioning device may be provided for the ejector,preferably in theform of aspring 67 which is preferably secured to the front wall of thebase and is adapted to be engaged by the projection 67 just before theejector reaches the limit of its movementin'one direction. This willprevent damage to the machine and furthermore will also assist instarting the ejector in its movement in the opposite direction. 9 7

The cam device 64 is adapted to be actuated by check controlledmechanismpreferably of the type and construction as disclosed in the UnitedStates patent to AlfredD. Antoine, No. 1,452,721, issued April 24, 1923,and which check controlled mechanism embodies a check carrier 73(reference being had more particularly to Figures 9 to 11 of'th edrawings), having a check seat 74 therein.

The check carrier is adapted to beactu 'ated by means. of the hande 71and the carrier 73 is adapted to be rotated when the proper checkisinserted in the mechanism, until the carrier has assumed the positionshownin Figure 10,,at which time andundernormal conditions the check ortoken 75 is adapted to be delivered from the carrier upon a support 76.

When the check rests upon this support it whenthe'check carrier 73isreversed in the direction of rotation, a portion of the wall 7 6 andagainst the element 77 to swing the latter about its pivot 78 vagainstthe stress by permit the further operation of the check carrier 7 3 andwith it the cam 64.

-This portion of the check controlled mechanism', aside from the cam 64,constitutes no part of the present invention, as it is fully disclosedin the patent heretofore referred to.

It sometiineshappens that it is attempted to actuate the mechanism whenthe machine is empty and in that event the check depos ited by theoperator should not be retained in the machineat a lossto the operator.

In the present invention means are provided whereby the mechanism willbe auto- J matically locked against operation .after the machine hasbecome empty and this is preferably accomplished through the medium ofthe articles themselves;

I This'mechanism will cause the check to be returned to the operator inthe event that the containersare empty."

This is accomplished, by means of mecha-' nism which will now bedescribed. A :lever 82 (see particularly Figure 4) is pivotally mountedintermediateits ends as at88 to a suitable support 84, and the lever isprovided with a portion 85 that is arranged adjacent the Connectedwiththe lever is a bar or rod 86 which .is' so, shaped that the end 87thereof {see also Figure 6) is adapted to be projected into the path ofmovement of the periphery of the check 7 5 in the .c'heckseat 74 of thecarrier 3 (see also Figure 10).

A spring 88 is provided'which tends nor- :nally tomove the end 87 of thebar 86 into a position that it will holdthe check 75 in the seatM andprevent the check from being delivered fromthecheckqcarrier when theseat is inverted. 1 i

The bar or rod 86 will assume this position when the fcontaner is empty.

Nhen, however, articles 31 are present in the container, the lever 82will'be rocked about its pivot from the position shown in Figure 4 tothe position shown inFigure 8, to withdraw the end87 of the barfrom'beneath the i check 75, thereby permitting the latter to drop 7 theejector will be operated, the check falling;

upon thesupport 7 6so that when the carrier 73 is moved in the oppositedirection the check will be delivered into the machine and down thepassageway 89 e 6) A The operation of the lever 82 is controlled bymeansv of a pivotally mou'ntedmember' 90 (see particularly Figurel),which is supported by the wall of the'container, preferably'by one end91of the member engaging in a suitable-opening 92 in the container wallso'that the member 90 will hang for free swinging movement.

"The normal positionof the portion'85 of the lever 82 is-within the pathof movement ofthe member 90. p When the container is empty and whenthecontainers' are rotated by the handle 41,

path of movement of the containers.

it will be manifest that themember 90 will strike the portion 85 of thelever 82 (see Figuret), but as there is no resistance to the member 90it will swing backwardly into the container thereby passing the lever 82without rocking the latter about its pivot.

When, however, there are articles 31 in the container (as shown inFigure 8), the articles will hold the member 90 projected beyond thefront of the container, with the result that when the container is thenrotated the member 90 will engage the portion 85 of the lever 82 to rockthe latter about its pivot 83iand thereby withdraw the extremwith thesides of the opening in the front of the container so as to insure theproper positioning of the weight 93 in the container.

It will therefore be manifest that the operation of the device will beautomatically controlled by the articles in the container.

Each of the containers is of the same general construction and each isprovided with a freely swinging controlling member 90.

In the form of the invention which has just been described the machineis adapted to vend flat orangular shaped packages and in order to adaptthe machine for vending roundpackages and at the same time prevent thepackages from rolling out of the containers, the supports 30 may beprovided with depressions 96 in which they ends of the articles 97 rest,(see Figure 17).

A spring controlled gate 98 may be provided as a closure for the openingthrough which the article 97 is ejected from the container 29. Thestress of the spring which controls the gate 98 is such that undernormal conditions it will hold the articles in the container,but willreadily yield under pressure exerted by the ejector upon thelowermostarticle 97 The lowermost edge of the gate 98 is preferablydeflected or flanged inwardly as at 98 so as to project over theadjacent edge of the support'30 and serves as ameans for preventing theinsertion of an implement into the container and beneath the gate 98.

[In'pthis form of the invention and as a means for providing a lock forthe gate 98 to prevent its swinging about its pivot until the containeris directly in position to have the article ejected therefrom by theejector,

a locking means may be provided which may consist of a projection orformation 98 carried by and extending fromthe rear of the gate 98. Alocking member 98 having a notch 98 therein is also provided and issecured to any fixed portion of the machine -so that the notch 98 'willbe in a position that the projection 98 will pass therethrough when thecontainer is in a predetermined position and the gate 98 moved about itspivot by the ejection of the article. WVhen the containeris moving orwhen it is not in a proper position to have the article ejectedtherefrom, the unnotched portion of the member 98 will prevent the gate98 from swinging about its pivot and no article can then be ejected orextracted from the container until the projection .98 is brought intoalinement with the notch 98 A cover 99 preferably in the form of a domeconstructed of transparent material, is provided to cover the containers29 and to form a housing in which the containers rotate. The lower edge,of this cover 99 (see z. particularly Figure 6) is adapted to rest upona seat or shouldered portion 100 of the top 21 of the base whichencompasses the opening 22 in the top of the base.

The lower extremity of the cover 99 is shouldered as at 101 and a ring102 encompasses the bottom of the cover 99 and 00- operates with the top21 for locking the cover in position. The ring 102 is provided with hookshaped portions 103 adapted to enter openings 104 inthe top 21 of thebase and then rotated so that the hook portions will pass under the topof the base.

An apertured projection 105 is provided on the ring 102 through which anapertured member 106 passes, and the opening in the member 106 isadapted to receive a lock for locking the cover against removal.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention. I

What is claimed as new is 1. A vending machine including a container forthe articles, a reciprocable ejector for successively ejecting thearticles, a lever to which the ejector is pivotally connected, means forreciprocating the ejector transversely of the supply of articles, andmeans carried with the ejector and movable to one side or the other ofsaid pivot for causing the ejector to operate in one plane during itsmovement in one direction and in another plane during its movement inthe opposite direction. v r

2. A vending machine including a container for the articles, areciprocable ejector for sticcessive'ly jejecting the articles, a leverfor reciprocating the ej e'ctor transversely of the supply of articlesand to which lever the ejector' ispivotallyconnected, means embodv mgaiguideway" for causing the ejector to operate n: one plan'e durmgitsmovement in one dire'ction'and' in another plane during its movement inthe opposite direction, and movable with, the ejector and automaticallyat pre'determ-iihedtimes in the cycle of opera tion of the ejectorto oneside or the other of said pivot to cause the ejector to shift from oneto the other-ofthe' saidpla-nes.

ply of articles, guideways, means connected with the ejector and movablein and through said guideways, means'for reciprocating the ejector, andmeans carried with the ejector and operating automatically to positionthe second recited means in alinement with said; guideways to entertherein and move therethrough when the ejector moves in one directionand for causing theejector, when said means leaves the guideways, toshift to a position to move in another plane on the return movement ofthe ejector.

4:. A vending machine including a contamer for the articles, areciprocable e ector for successively ejecting the articles, means forreciprocating the ejector transversely of the said supply, means-forcausing theejector to travel in one plane during its movement in onedirection and to travel in a different plane during its movement in theopposite direction, the last recited means embodying means pivotallyconnecting the ejector with its operating means, and a spring devicemovable from one side to the other of the axis of the pivot of saidejector for shifting the ejector about its pivot. 5. A vendingmachineembodying a shiftable container, there being a delivery openingin the container, a resiliently yielding closure for the opening, aformation carried by said closure and projecting therebeyond, a'cooperating member beneath which said formation moves to maintain theclosure against an opening movement during the movement of the containerand until the container assumes a predetermined position, saidco-operating member being shaped to permit the said formation to passthereabove and the said closure to swing under predetermined conditions,and means for ejecting an article through said delivery opening.

6. A vending machine embodying a shiftable container, there being adelivery opemng in the container, a resiliently yielding closure for theopening, a formation carried by said closure and projectingtherfibeyond, a comperating member beneath whichsaid formationmovesto'maintain the closure against an opening movement during the movementof the container and until the container assumes 51a predeterminedposition, said co-operating member. being shaped to permit the saidfor-. mat-ion to pass thereabove and the said closure to swing underpredetermined conditions, and an ejector for moving the article againstthe i said closure to swing the latter about its pivot and for ejectingthe article. I In testimony whereof we have signed our names to thisspecification on this th day of January, A. D. 1927. 15 MYRONH.RICHARDSON.

ALBERT E. GEBERT.

